Page 92 of Hot Stuff
We make the collective decision to return to Baton Rouge together. None of us want the media to get wind of a certain hot shot and with the way photographers and reports are following, calling, and getting in our faces, it makes sense to lead them all to where we want them.
The Rogues multi-million-dollar arena.
Plus there is a wedding we want to have at some point.
Soon.
I want Shelby and Gannon to be there but that’s proving difficult to organize.
In the end, we put the wedding on hold and concentrate on the other things going on.
Like the press conference to announce my retirement.
The Knights graciously allow me to dictate where that will take place. Laken even offered to fly down to Baton Rouge to do it.
She’s proving to be a competent team owner, although I’m sure Rafe is helping her a lot.
As much as I appreciate her offer, and because I don’t want to appear as though there is any animosity between me and my old team, Oakley and I fly back to New York three days after we leave it.
The trip serves two purposes.
This morning’s announcement that was completely anticlimactic after the recent days of media attention.
Laken made the announcement, shook my hand, offered me the best for the future, and I answered a few questions about what’s next for me and that was it.
There was only one question about Oakley. We’d spoken about the possibility of that and decided to give them something to hopefully lessen their interest.
I confirmed our relationship and that we’d been friends for months before the friendship took a romantic turn. When someone asked about my knowledge of the Rogues, I chose to cut it there.
Surprisingly, we were left alone after that. Of course, that may have had something to do with the fact Laken had a second announcement about the Knights that put the spotlight squarely on her and my old team.
Oakley wants to stick around for a while to make sure Laken doesn’t need anything which leads us to this afternoon.
And packing.
“What about this? Need any of it?” Oakley holds up a stack of dishes.
“Do I?” I have no idea where we’ll be living. I’m assuming it won’t be in the company apartment where we stayed the last few nights.
“Probably not. But do you want it?”
“You know…” I shut the cupboard door where my coffee mugs are. “I don’t really need anything but personal items. I’m sure you’ve got household goods.”
“I do. Although…” She looks at me uncertainly.
“What?”
“I live with Pa.”
“Okay. So, it’s already furnished.”
“As soon as we get a chance, we’ll look for somewhere to live.”
“Why? You don’t want to live there anymore?”
“I didn’t think you would want to.”
Walking over, I wrap her up in my arms. “Oak. I’ll live in a box under a bridge if I get to do it with you.”
